Lakers News: Kevin Durant Says It’s ‘Pretty Cool’ To Watch LeBron James Pursue Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Scoring Record
Kevin Durant, LeBron James, 2019 All-Star Game, Lakers
Jesse D. Garrabrant-NBAE

LeBron James is edging closer to becoming the NBA’s best scorer of all time, taking the title away from Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

A left adductor strain paused James’ pursuit of the honor as the four-time NBA champion missed five games with the injury in November. But the 37-year-old returned in the recent wins over the San Antonio Spurs and after a 39-point performance, he’s now 1,016 points away from matching Abdul-Jabbar’s regular-season tally.

Averaging a little over 25 points per game in 2022-23, James is more than likely to break the legendary Laker’s record this season if he manages to stay healthy — ending the “Showtime” icon’s 33-year reign on the top of the scoring list. Some of the NBA’s most talented scorers have come nowhere near this extraordinary feat — such as Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, who trails Abdul-Jabbar by about 12,000 points at the age of 34.

In an interview with ESPN’s Nick Friedell, Kevin Durant emphasized the magnitude of breaking the elusive record — and the joy of watching James coming closer and closer to achieving it:

“To be the No. 1 in anything, there’s 8 billion people in the world, we just figured that out last week, so to be the No. 1 of all time at scoring the basketball, I’m sure it’s going to be a range of emotions for him,” Durant said at Friday’s shootaround, in advance of a game against the Indiana Pacers. “But to be in an era where we see this live is pretty cool as well. You probably can’t even describe the emotions and feelings him and his family and his friends are going to go through, but it’s cool to see it up close.”

Earlier in the 2022-23 season, James said he understands that becoming the NBA’s greatest-ever scorer is a huge accomplishment, calling it “one of the most sought-after records in sports.”

He added: “And me personally, I’ve never even like set a goal of doing it. It makes zero sense to me. But it’s something that’s bigger, and bigger than people think.”

Magic Johnson thinks Abdul-Jabbar will have hard time seeing James officially break his record

Magic Johnson has said he believes Abdul-Jabbar won’t take seeing James break his record well. However, Johnson explained, that’s because of his former teammate’s competitiveness rather than the legendary center’s chilly relationship with the 37-year-old All-Star.

Johnson added he thinks Abdul-Jabbar probably expected that no one would ever break his scoring record.

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!

You May Also Like

Reddit: Lakers Second-Most Hated Team In The NBA

With 16 championship banners hanging in the rafters at the Staples Center,…

Luke Walton: Brandon Ingram Will Start If He’s ‘Best Player On The Court’

The Los Angeles Lakers open up the 2016-17 season with their annual media day, coming together as a collective unit…

Lakers News: Las Vegas Native Stephen Zimmerman Reflects On Recent Shooting

Los Angeles Lakers center and Las Vegas native Stephen Zimmerman reflects on the recent shooting at the Route 91 festival in his hometown…

Darvin Ham Says Lakers Were Just Being Cautious Sitting Russell Westbrook Out Against Nuggets With Hamstring Injury

The Los Angeles Lakers are in a bad place to start the 2022-23 season as they have yet to capture their first win…